Trang 1 BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ------ GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC AN INVESTIGATION INTO BARRIERS TO CRITICAL THINKING IN ENGLISH LEARNING COURSES AT BAN
BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES - - GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC AN INVESTIGATION INTO BARRIERS TO CRITICAL THINKING IN ENGLISH LEARNING COURSES AT BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM: LEARNERS’ PERSPECTIVE Student: : Tran Thi Van Anh Class : K22ATCB Course : 2019 - 2023 Student code : 22A7510057 Instructor : Dr Dinh Ngoc Anh Hanoi, May 2023 BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES - - GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC AN INVESTIGATION INTO BARRIERS TO CRITICAL THINKING IN ENGLISH LEARNING COURSES AT BANKING ACADEMY OF VIETNAM: LEARNERS’ PERSPECTIVE Student: : Tran Thi Van Anh Class : K22ATCB Course : 2019-2023 Student code : 22A7510057 Instructor : Dr Dinh Ngoc Anh Hanoi, May 2023 ABSTRACT Recent research on language teaching and learning has aroused interest in developing learners' critical thinking skills Training learners to think critically serves as an important opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills, but it remains a key issue that requires much applied research Despite its obvious importance, the way to improve students' thinking skills is challenging and hindered by many barriers This survey study explores the barriers of learners to develop critical thinking among students of the Faculty of Languages, Banking Academy 60 English as a foreign languages (EFL) students were invited to respond to an online survey about the obstacles that were asked By analyzing the quantitative data, the results show that the improvement of critical thinking skills is influenced by factors related to teaching, learning and the education system Among the barriers faced by Englishmajor students, the factor related to students and the Vietnamese education system were reported to be the two main obstacles that significantly affect the development of critical thinking Key words: Critical thinking, barriers, EFL students i DECLARATION I confirm that I am the author of the thesis Any support or assistance I received during my research and the creation of the thesis has been properly recognized Furthermore, I declare that all the sources of information and literature used in the thesis are clearly identified Hanoi, 22nd May 2023 Signature Tran Thi Van Anh ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thesis journey has been a valuable learning experience that has helped me grow not only as a researcher but also as an individual I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have supported me during this journey First and foremost, I extend my deepest thanks to Dr Dinh Ngoc Anh, my primary supervisor, for her unwavering dedication and exceptional support throughout my thesis She has been an invaluable resource, always available to discuss my ideas, provide corrective feedback on my writing, and pose insightful questions to help me overcome obstacles She has also been an excellent mentor in developing my logical thinking and writing skills I am truly grateful for her patience and understanding, especially as a novice researcher conducting a thesis in English Without her guidance, this thesis would not have been possible I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the 60 participants who responded to my survey I am grateful for their willingness to take part in my research study, which generated accurate responses that greatly contributed to my research Additionally, I am thankful to all the lecturers in the Faculty of Foreign Languages who provided me with crucial information related to the specific regulations Above all, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my family, who have been a constant source of motivation and encouragement throughout this journey There were moments when I contemplated giving up halfway, but their unwavering support kept me going and helped me reach where I am today Last but not least, I would like to thank myself for daring to embark on this challenging journey, remaining persistent and resilient, and always striving for complete Due to time constraints and limited capacity, this thesis may contain some flaws Therefore, I would be open-minded and appreciative of any constructive comments that could help enhance its quality iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i DECLARATION ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES .vi LIST OF FIGURES vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .1 1.1 Background to the study .1 1.2 The research problem 1.3 Aims and research questions 1.4 Significance of the study .4 1.5 Scope and limitations of the study 1.6 Overview of the thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definition of Critical Thinking .7 2.2 Sub-skills of Critical thinking .9 2.3 The role of Critical thinking in English learning 11 2.4 Barriers to Critical Thinking in English learning .14 2.4.1 Students-related barriers 14 2.4.2 Teachers-related barriers 17 2.4.3 Education system-related barriers 18 2.5 Previous studies on barriers to critical thinking 21 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 24 3.1 Research site .24 3.3 Research instrument 25 3.4 Data collection procedure 26 3.5 Data analysis .26 iv CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS 28 4.1 Reliability of the Measurement 28 4.2 General evaluation 29 4.3 Findings on students-related barriers 30 4.4 Findings on teachers-related barriers 31 4.5 Findings on education system-related barriers 32 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 33 5.1 Discussion on students-related barriers 33 5.2 Discussion on teachers-related barriers 34 5.3 Discussion on education system-related barriers 35 5.4 Recommendations 36 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 40 6.1 Summary of the findings .40 6.2 Implications .40 6.3 Limitations and Suggestions for further research .41 REFERENCES 43 APPENDIX .48 v LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: Critical thinking sub-skills Page: 11 Table 2.2: Barriers to critical thinking Page: 20 Table 4.1: Summary statistics of the Cronbach’s Alpha Page: 28 calculated Table 4.2: The range of interpreting the Likert scale mean score Page: 29 Table 4.3: General evaluation of barriers to develop critical Page: 29 thinking LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1: Summary of students’ responses about students- Page: 30 related barriers (in percentage) Figure 4.2: Summary of students’ responses about teachers- Page: 31 related barriers (in percentage) Figure 4.3: Summary of students’ responses about education Page: 32 system-related barriers (in percentage) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviations Meaning EFL English as a foreign language ELL English language learning SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The research conducted in this thesis investigates the obstacles faced in developing critical thinking skills in the context of English language learning (ELL) in Vietnam This introductory section provides an overview of the study's background, the research problem it seeks to address, the objectives and significance of the research, the scope and limitations of the study and overview of the thesis 1.1 Background to the study According to Ristanto et al (2020), the cultivation of critical thinking skills is crucial for achieving success in the contemporary era As a non-cognitive ability, it should be given priority in the educational process Critical thinking skills are particularly crucial for college students, as they enable individuals to engage in a process of reanalysis, identification, evaluation, and reconsideration of all concepts and assumptions This process ultimately facilitates effective decision-making and the ability to draw appropriate conclusions (Sadri, et al., 2019) The integration of critical thinking has become increasingly prevalent within the educational system of Vietnam which has undergone significant changes to align with the demands of the global economy, resulting in a greater emphasis on internationalization and forwardthinking approaches In the contemporary epoch of worldwide integration and interconnectedness, English has emerged as a prevalent lingua franca (Rao, 2019) According to Rao (2019), English is considered to be the foremost global lingua franca and is extensively utilized in international trade, diplomacy, mass entertainment, international telecommunications, scientific publications, as well as publishing newspapers and other books In light of this matter, the majority of universities and colleges in Vietnam have incorporated English language instruction as a significant component to accommodate the increasing advancement of the global language 1.2 The research problem According to Yang and Gamble (2013), it is imperative to incorporate effective critical thinking in the instruction of EFL In particular, the incorporation of critical thinking into the curriculum and the provision of critical thinking skills to students are increasingly becoming prevalent in Vietnamese higher education institutions, across various academic disciplines, including the field of English language as noted by Tranand Marginson (2018) However, this incorporation in EFL courses in Vietnam has faced certain hindrances such as syllabus development, cultural context, and pedagogical approaches (e.g., Hoang, 2010) The present circumstances necessitate a more precise and contemporary comprehensive understanding of the obstacles that hinder the development of critical thinking skills in EFL courses, specifically in universities in Vietnam This facilitates educational institutions, educators, and learners to enhance their awareness and implement suitable modifications to the syllabus, aiming to enhance the efficacy of critical thinking instruction and augment English language proficiency generalization, the study provides deeper understandings of obstacles to critical thinking in the Vietnamese tertiary context 42 REFERENCES Afshar, H S., & Movassagh, H (2014) On the relationship among critical thinking, language learning strategy use and university achievement of Iranian English as a foreign language majors The Language Learning Journal, 45(3), 382– 398 Aouaf, S., Azzouzi, L., & Housni, H (2023, February 4) Perceived Barriers to 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The end HỌC VIỆN NGÂN HÀNG KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM Độc lập – Tự – Hạnh Phúc BIÊN BẢN CHỈNH SỬA KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP Sinh viên: Trần Thị Vân Anh MSSV: 22A7510057 Thuộc chuyên ngành: Tiếng Anh – TCNH Khoá: 2019-2023 Thực đề tài: An investigation into barriers to critical thinking in English learning courses at Banking Academy of Vietnam: Learners’ perspective Tơi hồn tất việc chỉnh sửa Khóa luận tốt nghiệp (KLTN) theo ý kiến Hội đồng chấm KLTN ngày 28 tháng năm 2023 với nội dung sau đây: TT Nội dung cần phải chỉnh sửa Trang số Topic: Cân nhắc sửa tên đề tài “An investigation into Barriers to intergrate Critical Thinking in English Learning courses at Banking Academy of Vietnam: Learners’ perspective” References: Bỏ bớt References không liên quan đến luận văn, thêm 43 - 47 references cho trích dẫn Graduation thesis: Căn chỉnh lại văn v, vi, 1-51 Xác nhận Giảng viên hướng dẫn Đinh Ngọc Anh Nội dung chỉnh sửa Khơng có thay đổi Trang số Bỏ bớt References không liên quan: AlKhoudary, M (2015); Davidson, B W (1998); Facione, P A (1990); Halpern, D F (2014); 43 – 47 Hanim, et al (2020); House, J (2010); Nilson (2014); Paul, R., Fisher, A., & Nosich, G (1993) Căn chỉnh lại văn theo quy v, vi, 1-51 định Hà Nội, ngày 12 tháng 06 năm 2023 Sinh viên thực Trần Thị Vân Anh